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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137031">A Gentle Soul and A Betrayed Revenant</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnowNoBetter/pseuds/KnowNoBetter'>KnowNoBetter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:07:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnowNoBetter/pseuds/KnowNoBetter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl wanders the woods, carefree in all her ways. A spoiled maiden left to haunt the ground she lays. Had they’d been good girls they may have never been caught in the first place. Yet because they hadn’t they would come to find their fates.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Maiden In the Lake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a known fact that only death awaits you in the Western Woods. In the Valeian provincial island of Patch, the large swathe of dense wood and scattered streams were the grounds for an execution decades in the past. At least, that was the local belief. To Ruby, these tales were merely stories that her mothers, father, and sister would use to scare and tease her. She never knew that they were actually a warning left by the executioners. </p><p>It was a known fact that Ruby Rose “ladies clothes” and loved pants. Dresses got in the way of having fun. She couldn’t climb a fence in a dress, and nobody cared if a pair of slacks were dirty. It was also a known fact that Ruby Rose hated long hair. It got in her face when she was trying to eat, and the hair clips that her mother gave her hurt, so they were obviously evil, bad, and made by the devil. Summer’s determination to make a lady out of her adorable daughter, and to not allow her to follow in her very own footsteps, would ultimately be defeated by the constant complaints and clear discomfort on her little roses face every time she’d make an attempt. Eventually Summer had even relented and let Raven cut their daughter’s hair. </p><p>Summer and Raven could only wonder how their two daughters had become so wild, only to look at their oaf of a husband teaching Ruby and Yang how to wrestle and roughhouse, they came to the same conclusion that it was simply in their blood and there was nothing to be done. Well Taiyang wasn’t complaining, he’d always wanted  sons, but his two daughters proved to be more than anything he could ever want</p><p>Yang and Ruby were sprinting through the streets of the village narrowly avoiding the elderly, almost running over smaller children, and crashing into carts. Earlier in the day, they had pulled some pranks, like jumping on the backs of their neighbors pigs, and messed with the adults doing chores. The subsequent pigs threw them both off, and Yang almost broke the fence to the pen they were in. They had poked Summer in the ribs while she was cooking breakfast, jumped on Raven’s bed to wake her up (knowing full well that she was hungover), and ran their greasy hands all over the counter that Taiyang had just wiped down. At this last prank, Taiyang spiked his rag onto the counter and began chasing after the two sisters hollering and screaming through the streets. Ruby was always the faster runner, and Yang would get caught by their father, but as the good older sister she let Ruby scramble away from the scene.</p><p>“RUN!” </p><p>Yang screamed half panicked and half gleefully, as Taiyang had picked her up like a sack of grain, and thrown her over his shoulder. She struggled as much as she could, but upon realising that Taiyang was still running at full speed she stopped. </p><p>“RUBY ROSE, YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW.”</p><p>The booming voice of her father threw ruby into a fit of giggles, as she sprinted as fast as her little legs could carry her.</p><p>Ruby headed for the outskirts of the village, to the west. Ruby knew that if she waited long enough, Summer and Raven would be much too worried to still be angry. She gave an unheard thank you to Yang for taking most of the fall, and put in a little prayer to the gods that she’d be shown mercy. Though upon reflecting on what they had done during the day, she doubted the gods could do much to save Yang from Raven’s wrath. It was then that Ruby had realized just how far she had gone into the woods. Now, had she remembered the way she had come from she wouldn’t be worried, yet as the sky turned orange and then a further scarlet hue Ruby’s little heart pounded louder in her ears. The stories of horrible creatures gnawing at the back of her mind, as every shift in her peripheral morphed into a ball of fear and panic in her brain. The twelve year old tomboy would take tentative steps towards where she thought the village was, never realising that she was heading deeper into the woods.</p><p>Ruby had lost track of time, the sun was nowhere  in sight much like the humble little village she came from. Instead a pale moon projected haunting light over her paths in the woods. Ruby was never one to fear an adventure, but this was turning out to be more like a nightmare. Tired, scared, and alone Ruby had sat down beneath a tall tree, to rest her legs. Ruby hadn’t even realized the tears flowing out of her eyes, until she felt them scathe her freezing knees. Ruby had felt truly hopeless. </p><p>“Come little one, don’t you be afraid~”</p><p>Ruby’s eyes snapped up at the voice, was it someone from the village? She scrambled up to her feet and listened again.</p><p>“I’ll shelter you from the night~”</p><p>The song bounced all about the trees around her, but something drew her straight forward. Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her to take a second and think, but the fear of being left alone in the woods overpowered everything else. Ruby had found a clearing through the trees, sprinting faster than she ever had. When she burst through the woods, she found herself looking at a small lake that extended some 200 meters across the way. She also saw a tall lady facing the lake. </p><p>“Sleep in my arms until the day once again brightens the sky”</p><p>“H-hello? M-m-miss? Cou-could you h-elp me plea-please? </p><p>The woman turned to face Ruby. She had piercing blue eyes, and a small warm smile spread across her face. </p><p>“Why yes little one.”</p><p>The mysterious woman replied and knelt down,  raising her arms open in front of her. Something in Ruby’s mind snapped, and she ran towards the woman, burying her face into her chest. The woman encircled her arms around the small body, slowly sliding her hands up and down the child's back. Warmth spread throughout Ruby’s body, she no longer felt cold, or afraid, or alone. She felt sleepy, so very sleepy... The woman could feel Ruby falling limp in her arms, and shifted to pick the child up bridal style. She then walked towards the water in nonchalance, with grace and poise.</p><p>Ruby was pulled from her sleep when she felt the frigid water envelope her body. Her eyes burst open as she saw nothing but an abyss, and the pale moonlight shining above her. She flailed her arms around trying to swim up, but found her limbs restricted by silvery white strands of hair. </p><p>“Hush little boy, just close your eyes, and be free”</p><p>Ruby had always been a strong swimmer, and she knew she could hold her breath for a while. She fought to overcome her surprise and dread. Feeling more and more of her breath leaving her, she concentrated as hard as she could. Think of mama raven, did mama raven say anything about pretty ladies drowning people? She said something about a creature called a rusalka once. An evil spirit who drowned men, and boys… boys..! This creature had called her a boy! Ruby opened her mouth, the water rushing in, threatening to spill into her lungs. With the last of her breath she’d pleadingly screamed that she was a girl. Then her vision went black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. To Love Is To Die</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was approaching dawn, the Sun kissing the sky spreading a warm orange hue over the night. Nine hours ago she had almost drowned a young girl. Her panic and horror at what she had done long soothed by the faint breathes of the little human lying next to her. Honestly, it was the damned girl’s fault. What had the world come to? What parents would let their daughter run around in short hair and pants? What parents would let their daughter run alone into the woods? Had they no shame, had the child no shame? Whatever the world had come to since she had been murdered countless years ago, it surely had taken a turn for the worse. Gods forbid she had actually drowned this poor girl, it would haunt her for the rest of her un-life. Well it would haunt her more than the countless other victims down at the bottom of the lake, flesh rended, eyes hollowed, and faces frozen in horror. Her eternal punishment for choosing to bed with women and disgracing her father. Every few years that bastard would send another handsome young man, strapping knight, or disgraced noble to her lake, to their death. Weiss, forsaken with an ungodly instinct to lure, seduce, and murder, would commit the same atrocities and fall to her lusts over and over again. The men would always come so close, so close to tasting her, but she never let them. Instead they would feel the water flood into their lungs, and the burn of a watery death. Every second of her existence now was a ghastly reminder of her father’s cruelty. To turn your own daughter into a tool for your hellish political games…<br/>“AUGHH”<br/>Snapped out of her thoughts by a ghastly wheeze and labored breathing. She turned her head to look at the little human girl, choking on non-existant water and gasping for air. After a while, the girl stilled and her breath evened out. Weiss made an attempt to come closer to the girl, but was stopped at her voice<br/>“Mama Raven was right! Oh mama I promise to let you sleep in every day, I won’t be a bad girl, I won’t shut my ears when you scold me, I…” <br/>The girl continued to ramble on for a while, listing off all the things that she would and wouldn’t do for her mother. Weiss, finding her ears growing tired of the long winded declaration, rolled her eyes.<br/>“Ahem”<br/>Silver eyes shot up to gloss over Weiss’ pale frame. To the lost soul, the girl seemed to freeze. Not two seconds go by before the young girl shoots up like a startled deer and sprints for the treeline. Somehow choosing the absolute thinnest tree she could hide behind, the young girl poked her head to the side of the tree, her body in no way hidden by the trunk. Somewhere behind the amusement currently taking hold in Weiss’ brain, she found the whole scene adorable. <br/>“S-S-Stay b-back!”<br/>Weiss just slowly nodded her head, raising her open hands out by her face as a means of showing no harm. The young girl heaved a mighty sigh, or more so let out a large breath. Weiss had to fight the urge to laugh at the strange little girl. <br/>“Why did you try to k-kill me?”<br/>Weiss pondered on whether or not she should tell the girl the truth. To be honest, she wanted to apologize, but the fear in the little girl's eyes told her that she most likely would not be believed. Weiss must have taken too long because the next question surprised her.<br/>“I-I’m s-sorry for coming close to your lake miss rusalka!”<br/>Rusulka? Before Weiss could open her mouth, the young girl started crying again.<br/>“I just go-got l-lost, and I… I… I was scared of the woods in the d-dark!” <br/>Weiss just let out a small smile, thinking back to her own first few days upon waking up lost and alone. Wishing that her mother or her sister would be there for her. Weiss tried to emulate what she thought they would look like had they been there for her. Comforting kind eyes, and a warm smile to put her mind at ease. <br/>“T-Then I heard y-you and I th-th-thought you were f-from my village…” <br/>“Why did you come into the woods in the first place, little one?”<br/>Silver eyes grew wide as the young girl heard the river spirit speak.<br/>“I didn’t wanna get scolded.”<br/>Weiss’ swore that she could feel her heart once more at the faintest little pout on the girl's face. <br/>“Would you not get in more troubl-?”<br/>“I WASN’T PAYING ATTENTION!” <br/>The girl stood out fully from the tree with her eyes shut, and her little fists pushed down to the full extension of her arms. Weiss would have been taken aback by the outburst had her attention not been grabbed by the streaks of tears flowing down the girl’s face.<br/>“I was-n’t paying atten-tion and I-I wan-wand-”<br/>The small girl fell backwards, and began bawling. Weiss having long forgotten her frustrations with the little girl  had begun to move closer, slowly inching forward as the girl wailed and wailed. Upon reaching the girl, she sat down and gently wrapped her arms around the girls sobbing frame. Once again the little brunette buried herself into Weiss’ embrace. Having not thought farther than this, Weiss just gently patted the young girls back. <br/>“Shhh, it’s ok, the woods won’t hurt you, I won’t hurt you, at least not anymore.”<br/>The two stayed like this for a while, the young girl making multiple attempts to stop crying as Weiss sat there trying to be as soothing as possible. At some point Weiss began humming, in an effort to hopefully ease the girl’s mind without making her lose her senses. After a few of Weiss’ favorite lullabies that Weiss could remember from her childhood, she looked down to see the young girl asleep in her arms. Not wanting to disturb the young girl, Weiss made an attempt to fall asleep herself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys! Thanks for the Reads and the Kudos on chapter 1, Once again feel free to comment, The formatting on this chapter might be a little bit off, I'm still getting used to how this site works. I don't have a concrete schedule, but I aim to get maybe two chapters every week.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey guys, I've been a long time fan of White Rose and have been lurking in this fandom for the better part of about 6 years despite never actually watching past season 2 of RWBY... Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this, I've had plenty of my own little takes on tropes and attempts, but have never actually managed to write one down... Criticism is wanted, and be as honest as you can. It's fine if it's brutal, call me out on my bullshit cause I want to make all of my stories as seamless, smooth, and enjoyable as possible. Oh and if any fanfic writers are reading this, I may have commented on one of your stories in the past as: Max. Was quite the time ago, but my "thing" was usually to call authors beautiful and to threaten them all the same. Thought I'd finally give a little to this community, and hopefully it's appreciated! With that said, I hope you enjoyed my first official attempt at a fanfic and I'll be sure to update when I can pce! ^.^</p></blockquote></div></div>
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